Category Archives: cooking

For sure.
At its most basic there is the act of counting – one egg, two eggs, one cup, two. Have the children double or half the recipe to practice multiplication and division. Help them estimate the number of servings needed per person.

Cooking!

Children can practice their math measurement skills and learn about fractions while cooking. Be sure to have a selection of measuring cups and teaspoons and tablespoons in various sizes. Encourage the children to explore the measures. How many ¼ cups of flour do you need to make a full cup?
Use the opportunity to teach shapes. Cut cookie dough into different geometric figures; who wouldn’t want to eat a hexagon!

There is sorting (dry ingredients and wet), sequencing (what gets added first) and the opportunity to learn mathematical properties and terms such as more or less.

Set the oven temperature and convert from Celsius to Fahrenheit; adjust the timer and divide the minutes in seconds. When the cooking is complete challenge the children to share equally.
Ask lots of stimulating questions and remember to have fun while cooking and learning math.

Cooking and baking are my favorite science experiments with children. When else can you take a few items (for instance, flour, rolled oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, butter and apples), mix, add heat and be able to eat your end product (apple crisp)?

Science of cooking

Here is another way we can use the Around the World Recipe download that we are giving away on our Facebook site (https://www.facebook.com/educationtreasures). If you haven’t already done so, just like the page and then download the Recipe book under free eBook.

Cooking with children provides an opportunity to enhance numerous science skills. A discussion about hygiene when handling food could lead to learning about germs and cross contamination. Ask leading questions as you work together; why is it okay to eat cooked egg but it is not recommended to eat raw egg?
Encourage the children to use all their senses: smell the nutmeg; feel the rice; hear the sizzling; see the cake rising; taste the result. Point out chemical reactions and ask more questions. Why do you add warm water and sugar to yeast? How does yeast grow? How do you stop it from expanding? And how does baking powder and baking soda work? What about crème of tartar? How does heat make a difference? Have the children predict what will happen and note changes in texture, consistency, size and colour.
Take the opportunity to talk about the importance of nutrition and the different food groups. Discuss how our food is grown and processed. Where does sugar come from? What about milk and cheese?
The opportunities for learning are endless. Don’t think you have to have all the answers either. Research is another important facet of science.

In light of our Facebook Recipe giveaway I thought it would be pertinent to share some thoughts over the next few days about cooking with kids and the myriad of benefits they get from it.

Given the title of the collection we shall start with the benefit they get from the global selection of recipes. Using recipes from our free giveaway download, you will help your children cook foods from around the world and teach them about other countries, the people who live there, and that food is one thing we all share as people on the planet. This is a great complement to our geography series and kids cooking items.

Download your absolutely FREE 700pg Recipes from Around the World eBook below

Just remember to like our page to get access to the download!!

If you are having problems with the link, go to https://www.facebook.com/educationtreasures “like” the page and then go to our free eBook tab at the top and then scroll down, there is a green “Download Now” button. Click there and download the Recipe book as a PDF!

Our family loves cats, although we have nothing against dogs. It is simply a preference. When our children were young we had an assortment of cats, each with its owndistinct personality. We also had a menagerie of fish, lizards, mice, turtles, gerbils and budgie birds.

Having pets was often messy, sometimes inconvenient and many times stinky. Pets can also be expensive. So why did we bother?

I believe our children learned valuable lessons having pets.

They learned patience and responsibility. Animals need to be cared for, and if a cat wants food it won’t let up until it gets fed.

They experienced compassion and empathy. I remember my great big 13 year son softlycradling an injured cat in his arms.

They learned cause and effect. If you don’t change the aquarium water, your whole bedroom smells.

The children also learned about the realities of life and death. They saw guppies being born and tearfully said goodbye to beloved cats and gerbils.

They experienced unconditional love, not so much from the lizards but definitely from the cats. When life was unfair they could hug the cat.

Having pets is a commitment and requires responsible parental involvement. Small children need to be taught to be gentle. Young ones have to learn that pets are not toys. One time I asked my 3 year old son to put away his toys; a little later I heard a soft meowing and discovered the cat, along with my son’s toys, stored neatly in the toy box. Children will require reminders to feed and water their pets.

Pets are not for everyone and the decision to add a pet to the family can be a major decision. I found the effort worthwhile; the memories and anecdotes have lovingly added to our family union.

I know this is hard to believe but teachers and parents make mistakes:)
When my son was very young, he did something that greatly irritated me. I don’t remember what it was and it really isn’t tantamount to this story. My reaction was swift however. I said to my little boy, ” I love you but I don’t like you.” As the words came out of my mouth, I knew they were just plain wrong. Of course I loved him (and still do) and I do really like him.

There are many things one can learn from this interaction.

The first is to focus on the action and not the person. What I could have/ should have said is “I love you but I don’t like what you just did.”

And it would have been productive if I told him exactly what he did that was irritating. Words are powerful.

It reminds me of my own childhood experience: a teacher graciously volunteered his time to take a group of students horseback riding. It was a wonderful day, full of fun and exuberance. The guide led us into a full gallop. We were riding through deep ruts and I was worried about the horse faltering. I pulled the reins to the left and veered out of the path. At the finish of this exhilarating ride, my teacher said to me, “Don’t ever do that again!” To this day I don’t know what I did wrong…. How does one learn from that!

And finally, in general parents do the best they can. Learn to forgive yourself. Parents make mistakes. If these mistakes are isolated (and not abusive) children will survive. My son is a remarkable, successful confident man, despite my parenting. I have never asked him if he was impacted by my words; I am not brave enough to ask.

I was at my grand daughter’s gymnastics class and overheard a small child sniffling and crying. She appeared to be about 3 years old, nicely dressed and hair done up with a bow. She was sitting on a young man’s knee, whom I surmised was her father. I overheard him saying over and over, “Now stop crying. You know how to say thank you. The lady gave you a treat and you say thank you. Do you want me to take you outside? Stop your crying now. You’re a big girl. You know how to say thank you. Stop your crying………”

The little girl kept crying and I could hear the tension increase in the man’s voice.She cried louder and he got louder. The man was wearing a uniform of some sort and it looked like he had just come from work. He struck me as someone who was used to his instructions being followed. Just when the girl’s sobbing had subsided, he started in again. “Now say thank you” and her tears were on again. He finally took the little one outside and I could still hear him droning on. I’m certain whoever gave the child the treat was truly regretting it.

I felt his frustration. I’ve been there. You ask your child to do something and he doesn’t. It can be embarrassing. It can feel like defiance. A parent can feel a loss of control. It becomes a power struggle and I have learned that when you get into a power struggle with a child of any age, there are no winners. Believe me, if you can’t deal with this, wait until your teenager challenges you. {As an aside, never debate with a teen; teenagers are relentless.}

This is what I wanted to say to the father. Take a deep breath. Let it go. You are the adult here. This is not a reflection on your parenting. You are escalating the situation.

If this is an isolated incident and your child is generally polite and follows instructions, then something else is going on. Is your child tired? Overwhelmed? Shy of a stranger? Let it drop, take another deep breath and speak with your lovely daughter later when all is calm.

What I did do, was wander outside, smiled at the father and said “It’s not easy, is it?”